This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Vices used for clamping a part or member for operations such as machining, lancing, cutting, plasma cutting, electrical discharge machining (EDM) or the like operations conducted on the member by an operating device commonly include a movable clamp portion and a fixed clamp portion. The member is retained between the movable and fixed clamp portions by frictional contact with the movable and fixed clamp portions, and a compression force provided through the movable clamp portion. The member is initially aligned and measured multiple times to ensure a predetermined orientation with respect to the operating device. Disadvantages of common vices include the member moving from its retained position during the operation by forces exerted from the operating device.
Common vices permit the member to be aligned in two axes with respect to a bed or support and the operating device, a first axis provided by rotation/displacement of the vice and a second axis provided by use of the movable and fixed clamp portions. Adjustment of the vice to correct for perpendicularity or parallelism requires movement of the vice in a third axis. A common method of providing movement in the third axis is to add one or more shims under all or a portion of the vice to adjust a height or angle of the vice, therefore changing a height or angle of the member with respect to the operating device. Use of shims are a repetitive and time consuming operation, because multiple shims are often placed or replaced until the desired orientation of the member is achieved. Use of shims also commonly requires provision of multiple independent shims to achieve the desired standoff dimension of the vice, multiple shims of differing thicknesses to provide for minute adjustment of the standoff dimension, and/or shims having different areas to provide adequate support for the vice. Elimination of the use of shims and alternate provision of movement in the third axis is therefore desirable.